Legionnaires' kills 2 more, infects 104 in Quebec City

Quebec's public health authority announced that Legionnaires' disease had caused two more deaths and infected two other people since Saturday.

To date, 104 people have contracted the disease in Quebec City since July 31st. So far, eight people have died from complications related to the illness.

The bacteria tends to grow in stagnant water and can be found in cooling towers and fountains.

On Saturday, regional director of public health François Desbiens said 89 cooling towers have been inspected and disinfected in Quebec's Lower Town, an area considered at high risk.  It's the oldest part of the city —  a long swathe of historic buildings below the famed Chateau Frontenac hotel.

He announced more cooling towers, including the ones that were already cleared, would be inspected and cleaned out on Monday and Tuesday. Authorities have expanded the perimeter and will investigate units outside of the Lower Town.

The crisis was discussed on Saturday during the Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois' daily campaign stops.

Both parties mentioned a report that was filed in 1997 that offered a series of recommendations to the Quebec government after a Legionnaires' outbreak that took place a year earlier.

The Liberals blamed the PQ, who was in power at the time, for failing to follow the report's guidelines.

On Friday, Quebec Mayor Régis Labeaume said Quebec's provincial government had not introduced adequate measures to take care of the outbreak.

Labeaume said rules would be tightened to prevent such situations in the future and that a registry of cooling towers would be kept from now on.

The new rules, expected to be enacted this fall, will also require more maintenance of cooling towers.